Populations across northeastern Nigeria continue to experience acute food insecurity, high acute malnutrition levels, and increased risks of excess mortality, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). The onset of the May-to-October rainy season—which complicates road access—could potentially further limit humanitarian access and relief operations in some areas of the region. The UN and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in northeastern Nigeria are developing contingency plans for the rainy season and expanding storage capacity in Borno State to facilitate the delivery of food and other humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations.

The United States has had a diplomatic relationship with ASEAN since 1977, cooperating in trade, economic and social development, people-to-people connections, institutional strengthening, national security, defense, science and technology and education.

To date, in response to Hurricane Matthew, the U.S. Government has committed $101.3 million in funding, including $42.6 million from USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP), approximately $39 million from USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), $11 million from the U.S. Department of Defense, and $8.7 million from the USAID Mission in Haiti. USAID’s assistance is carried out by more than 20 implementing partners and local organizations based in the hurricane-affected southwestern departments of Grande Anse, Nippes, and Sud.

Conflict in Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Western Bahr el Ghazal states generated additional internal displacement, as well as population movements into neighboring countries, during the month of April. Attacks on aid workers, which resulted in the deaths of four USAID partner employees, prompted humanitarian organizations to relocate staff from conflict-affected areas and temporarily suspend relief operations.

Vulnerable populations in Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya continue to face life-threatening acute food insecurity, following delayed and erratic seasonal rains across the Horn of Africa, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). As of early May, April-to-June gu rains had begun in parts of Somalia’s semiautonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland, while Lower Juba, Lower Shabelle, and coastal areas of Galgadud and Mudug regions had not yet received rains, according to the UN. In addition, central and eastern Ethiopia remained dry due to below-average February-to-June belg rainfall, and the delayed onset of March-to-May long rains had exacerbated dry conditions in agricultural and pastoral areas of Kenya, according to FEWS NET.

In Morocco, 30 percent of the population is between 15 and 29 years old and the number of people reaching working age is increasing. But despite that fact, companies struggle to find employees. This is due to the severe deficit of marketable skills, which affects the whole region and plagues the operation and productivity of industrial sectors. In order to maintain economic growth, security, and stability, it is of paramount importance to respond to this problem and to close the skills gap, thereby creating employment for the youth, reducing poverty, and fostering wealth creation.

Our program, Enhancing and Advancing Basic Learning and Education (ENABLE), develops key science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational competencies in BiH. Strengthening key STEM competencies among students and their teachers is central to improving the system as a whole. The ENABLE program will improve teacher training, the development hypothesis being that if teachers are better trained, particularly in STEM-based curricula, then their teaching will improve – the ultimate result being that student learning outcomes are increased. A solid educational system will foster a knowledge-based economy and ultimately advance economic growth.

USAID is partnered with the BiH Gender Equality Agency to improve institutional services for survivors of gender-based violence and strengthen prevention efforts. It directly contributes to implementation of the Istanbul Convention and the ability of BiH to protect and provide better services to victims of GBV.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) offensive to retake the city of Ar Raqqah from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to drive displacement in Ar Raqqah Governorate. As of April 8, the offensive had displaced more than 50,000 people in the governorate since the offensive began in November 2016, according to the UN. In recent days, an estimated 39,000 people arrived to the informal Job Ash Sheer camp in Ar Raqqah, and the UN estimates an additional 21,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) may arrive at the camp in the coming days.

Through its Central America and Mexico (CAM) Regional Program, USAID works with the governments of the region, the private sector and local organizations towards the shared goal of a prosperous, transparent and safe Central America region.